Norwich City have confirmed that first-team coach Christian Flüthmann has returned to Germany after 18 months working alongside Daniel Farke in England.

Flüthmann has joined German third tier side Eintracht Braunschweig as he was keen to return to Germany for personal reasons, joining the coaching staff of the club City signed Onel Hernandez from in January. Braunschweig were relegated from Bundesliga II last season and are currently bottom of the third tier table.

The Canaries announced that Christopher John had joined Farke’s coaching team earlier this week, with an emphasis on analysis, a role similar to that which Flüthmann had been carrying out.

“Firstly thanks a lot to Christian. For a few weeks now we’ve known he’d leave in the summer and then there was an opportunity to bring in Christopher,” he said, speaking to the club’s official site.

“And right now there was an chance for Christian to sign a new long-term contract in Germany and for that reason we decided to make this change now and not in the summer.

“A big thank you to Christian as he has done a brilliant job and we wish him all the best for the future.”

John left his role at German side Paderborn to join City, where he was also assistant U21s coach, and is reunited with Farke having played under the head coach at lower level side SV Lippstadt.

“I know about his character, how structured he is, how desperate he is, especially in this role as an assistant coach with a focus on analysing games and analysing opponents,” Farke explained.

“I followed his way and he was highly rated in Paderborn where he worked in a role in the under-23 but was also connected with the first team, analysing also connected with the scouting.

“So yeah I know about him and his deep wish to work exactly in this role. The most important thing for me when we work together in analysing games is I don’t want just someone who is just in a dark office and is unbelievably good with a laptop.

“I want more like an assistant coach who watches a game with my eyes and knows about the quality of our players, how we want play and I want a bit more in this role a coach, rather than just an information specialist.”

John was a midfielder before taking up his coaching role with Bundesliga II side Paderborn, who City signed striker Dennis Srbeny from in January.

“He’s 30 years old and it’s more like he played semi-professional in Germany, in the third tier but also several years in the fourth tier which is sometimes semi-professional,” Farke added, speaking from City’s temporary base in Florida.

“He decided when he got the opportunity at Paderborn to switch role and for that I knew this was his wish for a couple of years. It’s also important, a bit like a player, that he is on the way up the hill, it was important for me that he was really desperate to come.

“We were pretty diligent and I hope, and I’m pretty sure, that it will be a good fit.”